Brief of Works for a Condition Survey and Repair Work to
Dockyard Church, Sheerness
For
Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust
1
INTRODUCTION
Dockyard Church is a grade II*-listed building at the entrance to the historic naval
dockyard in the town of Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. It was part of
John Rennie’s rebuilding of the dockyard in the early nineteenth century, and dates
to the 1820s. Like many of the dockyard buildings, the Church was designed by the
architect George Ledwell Taylor. After a fire in 2001 the building has been a shell
without a roof and the surviving fabric has deteriorated. Prior to this the Church was
in a range of uses since being deconsecrated when the dockyard closed as a naval
port in the 1960s. It is on Historic England’s Building at Risk Register.
The Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust (SDPT) is a building preservation trust
that was set up in 2014 with the express intention of repairing Dockyard Church and
converting it to a new, viable use.
The SDPT has been in receipt of a start-up grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund
and additional funding from both the Architectural Heritage Fund and the Pilgrim
Trust. It is now in a position to apply to Historic England (HE) for a Repair Grant for
investigative and survey works to inform the Trustees about the condition of the
building and what emergency works are needed to the fabric of the Church until
funding is secured and work can start on the full repair and conversion project. This
brief is for this necessary survey and investigative works. This has been discussed
with HE and the following brief has been written with their support and guidance.
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SCOPE OF WORKS
HE has recommended that a report, outlining the condition of, and repair strategy
for (with costs) Dockyard Church is prepared. As well as being a valuable document
in its own right, this will also help to inform plans for further works which may
include alterations to the existing building to facilitate its adaptive re-use and secure
its future. Overall the document will give the applicants, and their professional
advisers, a better idea of what the ‘conservation deficit’ of the building is, before
any plans are made to bring it back into beneficial use.
The following works will therefore need to be carried out, which are also described
in more detail under the ‘Appointments’ section, below;
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measured survey drawings of site and building
detailed condition survey
outline schedule of repairs
budget costings for repairs
details of basic, on-going maintenance to be carried out by owners over a 5year period (assuming no further adaptive re-use works take place during
that time) with costings
The investigative work, surveys would be completed as part of this first phase of
work. The execution of the essential works that are highlighted by these surveys will
form a subsequent second phase. The second phase may form part of a second
Repair Grant from HE.
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APPOINTMENTS
All professionals detailed below are to be appointed in accordance with current EU
Procurement legislation Survey work should be carried out in accordance with the
relevant British Standard for conservation works.1
Conservation accredited Architect (AABC or RIBA ‘A’) or RICS Building Surveyor
1. Carry out a measured drawn survey of the site and all the buildings within its
curtilage.
2. Carry out a Quinquennial-type inspection of the building fabric, establishing,
on the basis of a visual inspection initially, from reasonably accessible points,
the following information;
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The general condition of all parts of the building.
The causes of any defects noted.
The need for repairs and where appropriate other works.
The urgency and importance of any such works under four degrees of priority;
immediate, urgent within 2 years, within 5 years and desirable.
Items of maintenance which the building owners/occupiers should and could
be carrying out on a daily / weekly / monthly basis in the short term.
3. Advise on, and procure for, the client (grantee) the other professionals detailed
below, in accordance with EU procurement legislation. Although this
professional would manage and coordinate the work, the professionals listed
below would be directly contracted to the SDPT.
The SDPT anticipates that ideally the same conservation architect or surveyor would
oversee both the first phase of report writing and the second phase of overseeing the
works being carried out (the subject of a separate grant).
Structural Engineer
Investigate any structural issues arising from the condition survey carried out by the
architect or surveyor, including a structural assessment of any timbers subject to
insect or fungal attack. Liaise with both the timber decay consultant and drainage
survey contractor to ensure all investigations necessary are carried out during the
1
BS 7913:2013 Guide to the conservation of historic buildings; Annex B.
course of this project development process. Make recommendations for monitoring
work as necessary.
The Structural Engineer should be suitably qualified and experienced in the
conservation of historic building. It may be appropriate to consult the CARE
(Conservation Accreditation Register of Engineers) website for contact information.
Independent Timber Decay Consultant
Carry out survey of timbers, including to roof and floor structures and identify any
insect or fungal attack. Make recommendations for any areas of repairs and
treatment. Consultant should not be a timber treatment contractor.
Drainage survey contractor
Use appropriate investigative techniques to establish the layout and condition of the
existing below ground drainage from the building. Provide a written report with plans
and illustrative photographs.
Licensed Ecologist
Following an initial (free) visit from a volunteer batworker (contact Natural England
for details), if bats are present, engage a bat specialist to carry out a full bat survey to
the church. Survey to be carried out in accordance with guidelines set out in Natural
England's Bat Mitigation Guidelines ISBN 1857167813 (and at online at
http://naturalengland.twoten.com/naturalenglandshop/docs/IN13.6.pdf), to establish
type, extent and pattern of bat occupancy, if any. Obtain Natural England licence for
investigation and repair work if necessary, but develop and oversee a mitigation
strategy to avoid the need for a licence if possible.
It is also an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to disturb nesting wild
birds or any sort of activity perpetrated by birds listed on ‘Schedule 1’ of the act.
Natural England can also be consulted on this subject, but the following websites give
a broad overview of the situation:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/joinandhelp/campaignwithus/law/whatsintheroof/thelaw.aspx
https://www.gov.uk/wild-birds-protection-surveys-and-licences
Quantity Surveyor
Provide budget estimates for repairs identified in condition survey. The Quantity
Surveyor should be suitably qualified and experienced in the conservation of historic
buildings.
Documentation
Architect or surveyor, and the quantity surveyor to produce summary of all the reports
pertaining to the condition of the building. It should contain four main sections, and
appendices including the reports provided by the other professional advisers (structural
engineer, timber decay consultant and ecologist). The four main sections should consist of
an introduction (including any research pertinent to the repair of the building), a description
of the fabric and its condition (symptoms and causes), recommendations for repairs and
other works, if appropriate, and a schedule of budget costs for these. The findings of the
other professional advisers should be summarised and included in these sections.
Although individuals will have their own methodology, it is recommended that, in the
interests of consistency, the outside of the building should be inspected first, and the
sequence should be from top to bottom, starting from the same point on the floor plan at
each level, and working clockwise. The materials and construction of each element should
be described in as concise a way as possible, and their general condition and any defects
recorded separately. Take photographs of defects and indicate locations of photographs on
sketch plans at 1:100.
Research, condition survey, repair schedule and ongoing maintenance schedule to be
presented together in one binding. This should be presented in both digital form and three
hard [paper] copies to the grantee.
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TIMESCALES
This Repair Grant-funded work would be a two phase process with the surveys and
reports being carried out as part of one grant (this tender) and the works themselves
carried out another subsequent Repair Grant from HE. The condition survey and
other investigative work of the building would be carried out first to inform any
emergency works that might need to be implemented immediately to allow
continued public access and fundraising. This first phase of work should be
completed by March 2016.
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REQUIRMENTS FOR TENDER SUBMISSION
The SDPT requires:
- a quote for the services of the conservation architect/surveyor for this first
phase of works
- a summary of relevant experience and qualifications pertaining to this job
- any recommendations or insights as to how the project would be best
structured and a proposed timetable for the project (this can be presented as
a Gant Chart)
Tender responses to be sent to dockyardchurch@gmail.com by 17:00 on 12 October
2015 with the sender’s contact details.
For any enquiries please email SDPT at the above address or telephone Heloise
Palin on 07813 749 848.